This year, Google has made news in the gaming community by announcing plans to launch a new streaming game console that would reportedly allow users to play high-quality games without purchasing physical copies or downloading them. This development is just another example of the bright future of gaming and how the streaming model is revolutionising various tech industries.
Streaming has already impacted the way people consume films and TV. In fact, Pew Research indicates most young people in the United States watch TV primarily via streaming services. Additionally, Nielsen reveals streaming services account for the majority of music, video, podcast, and many other types of audio consumption. Therefore, it was perhaps inevitable that someone would eventually attempt to create a streaming console for gaming as well.
Google’s Streaming Game System
It’s worth noting that Google’s attempt at a streaming game system, called ‘Stadia’, isn’t technically a console itself. That’s because the only hardware users actually need is the controller. Games themselves are streamed via a cloud-based platform.
This isn’t the first time Google has experimented with streaming console games. In 2018, Google’s Project Stream allowed users to play popular games via their web browsers. It appears the project must have been at least relatively successful, given the company seems to believe streaming console games to PCs (and other devices, such as laptops and phones) represents the innovative future of gaming.
Previous attempts by others to develop a streaming game system failed due to excessive lag and lack of dedicated resources to the idea. Stadia is poised to become the best video game streaming device by connecting to the Internet without the need for other hardware, which will supposedly address this issue that has otherwise plagued most gaming streaming services.
Stadia won’t be immediately available to everyone, however. Google is initially planning on making this console streaming service accessible only via Android devices and the Chrome web browser. However, if the platform is a success, it could potentially spread to other devices and platforms, or at least give rise to competitors that don’t require the use of Google products.
That’s the most likely scenario. In fact, Microsoft already looks to be developing a similar platform with Project xCloud, which will be tested out later in the year.
Take a look at a quick 5-minute recap over Google’s initial introductory event to their latest device earlier this year:
The Mysterious Announcements Awaiting at 2019’s E3 Event
For the next couple of weeks in early June 2019, the infamous gaming conventions event – E3 – takes place. This event acts as the main platform for famous tech/gaming announcements from respected brands like Sony and Microsoft, with the announcements ranging from the introduction to brand new console and the introduction of anticipated games. It has been recently announced that Google themselves will be attending this year’s event, so look out for any E3 news emerging this week!
How Streaming Console Games Are Expected to Impact the Future of the Gaming Industry
This won’t merely change the future of gaming for those who play high-quality console games. Gaming streaming services will almost certainly impact mobile gaming as well. Developers can prepare by considering how the technical aspects of a mobile game can make it more reliable and consistent on a streaming platform. These experiments will only succeed if the lag issues that have often been associated with streaming games are corrected.
Google appears to be confident that this is one of the main concerns around gaming streaming services. That’s why some gaming experts believe the last generation of true console game systems might be right around the corner. In the near future, every game might be streamed. Development teams that prepare sooner rather than later for this future of gaming will be most likely to take advantage of the shift.
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